Wetzel needs time to find himself
The Novo, Los Angeles, August 24, 2022
Reviewed by Dan MacIntosh
Wetzel, who took the stage wearing a Playboy t-shirt, played acoustic guitar throughout, but this instrument was mostly drowned out by his noisy backing band. Wetzel may have a country heart beating inside, but he didn't reveal that part of his musical anatomy much at all tonight.
Wetzel has some strong songs, which are obscured by his chosen musical format, and he saved the best of these for last. They included the confessional "Drunk Driving," "Good Die Young" and "Something To Talk About," which he dedicated to people that can't keep their mouths shut.
He played for 75 minutes to a hard partying, but loyal crowd. In fact, two separate patrons were seen escorted out, presumably for being drunk and disorderly, during his set. This was mostly a young, trucker-hat-wearing crowd, and his fans know most all his songs by heart and sang along heartily.
One hopes Wetzel will learn to pace his shows with a little more variety in the future. Everything was so amped up, there just wasn't room for any quieter moments. He needs to trust his audience to accept slower, quieter songs. Unless, that is, he actually wants to be a rock star, not a country artist.
Wetzel's still young, so it's only fair to give the man a little more time to find himself. But for now, all we can really say is that he shows great potential.
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